Combination sewing machine ribbon cutter and cloth trimming attachment



Sept. 22, 1964 G. FOWLER, SR 3,14

COMBINATION SEWING MACHINE RIBBON CUTTER AND CLOTH TRIMMING ATTACHMENTFiled Aug. 3, 1961 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR Gilbert Fowler, 8:

ATTORNEY Se t. 22, 1964 G. FOWLER, SR 3,

COMBINATION SEWING MACHINE RIBBON CUTTER AND CILOTH TRIMMING ATTACHMENTFiled Aug. 3, 1961 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 4. 82 v 76 F- 58 74 i 67 5s 34 F fi32 INVENTOR Gilbert Fowler, Sr.

ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,149,589 COMBINATION SEWING MACHINERIBBGN CUT- TER AND QLOTH TRIMMING ATTACHMENT Gilbert Fowler, Sin, 1128Broadway, Brookyln, NIY. Filed Aug. 3, 1961, Ser. No. 129,137 2 Claims.(Cl. 1l2-125) This invention relates to improvements in sewing machinesand more particularly to a ribbon cutting attachmerit therefor, adaptedto provide manually operable means for severing the ribbon supplysubsequent to a simultaneous stitching and edge trimming operation.

Objects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in parthereinafter and in part will be obvious herefrom, or may be learned bypractice of the invention, the same being realized and attained by meansof the instrumentalities and combinations pointed out in the appendedclaims.

The invention consists in the novel parts, constructions, arrangements,combinations and improvements herein shown and described. Theaccompanying drawings referred to herein and constituting a part hereof,illustrate one embodiment of the invention, and together with thedescription, serve to explain the principles of the invention.

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of the machine showing ribbon and clothbeing fed to the Work support area, ofa conventional sewing machine;

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged perspective view of the ribbon cutter and clothtrimming attachment positioned adjacent the reciprocating stitchingmechanism showing cloth and ribbon being fed to the Work support area;

FIGURE 3 is an isolated plan view of the present invention; I

FIGURE 4 is a view taken along line 4-4 of FIG- URE 3; and

FIGURE 5 is a back end elevation View of the ribbon cutter in normalinoperative position.

The invention has for its primary object, the provision of a sewingmachine attachment, the function thereof being to facilitate andexpedite the ribbon severing operation thereby elfectuating bothsubstantial savings in time and minimization of fatigue with respect tothe sewing machine operator.

Another object of the invention is to provide a readily adaptable sewingmachine attachment enabling the simultaneous trimming of the edge of asheet of cloth and the stitching of a ribbon to said sheet.

A further object of the present invention is the provision, incombination, of a self-contained removably adapted attachment forconventional sewing machines whereby an edge of a sheet of cloth can betrimmed, ribbon can be stitched near the edge of the sheet and wherebythe unused supply of ribbon can be instantaneously severed by merelydepressing a lever, said lever being an element of the combination.

It will be understood that the foregoing general objectives and thefollowing detailed description as Well are exemplary and explanatory butare not restrictive of the invention.

Referring now in detail to the present preferred embodiment of theinvention illustrated by way of example in the accompanying drawings,FIGURES l and 2 show the sewing machine ribbon cutter and cloth trimmingattachment designated generally by numeral 1 positioned adjacent thereciprocating stitching mechanism of a conventional sewing machine.Sheet of cloth 2 is being drawn over approach support 4 along worksupport frame 6 and beneath pressser foot 8 which is adjustably mountedby a manually settable screw 10 and held rigidly by fixed support member12 integral with needle bar 14. The cloth is drawn in the usual mannerby means of a feed dog (not shown), but positioned for oscillatingmovement beneath said presser foot 8 and within a longitudinal slotprovided in the throat plate (not shown).

Ribbon 1a is fed from spool 18 supported from above by angle-rod 24)through a guiding bracket 22 mounted on presser foot 8, to a positionsuperposed with respect to said cloth 2. Thus, botlrcloth and ribbon aresimultaneously drawn beneath needle 24 which is reciprocated verticallythrough the cloth and ribbon in synchronism with the concurrentmovements thereof.

Concurrently with the stitching operation, the edge of the cloth issheared off parallel to the direction of travel, as will be described,in order to insure a straight edge on the finished product. A pair ofscissor blades generally designated as 26 are further provided tomanually sever the ribbon supply from the cloth in a direction normal tothe trimming operation upon termination of the stitching operation, suchsevering operation being simply accomplished by depression of tab 30located endwise of lever 32.

In achieving the aforementioned trimming and ribbon cutting operationsand in consonance with the foregoing objects, the attachment fullyillustrated in FIGURES 3-5 is provided.

With respect to the trimming operation, any uneven cloth edge is trimmedoff by a pair of shears having a stationary blade 34 and a pivoted blade36 best seen in FIGURE 3 of the drawings, the cloth being trimmedappearing generally as 26 in FIGURE 2.

The pivoted blade 36 is an integral part of horizontal shaft 38 which isrotatable within bearing block 40. Loop-crank lever 42 attached at oneend to horizontal shaft 38 by means of screw clamp 44 depends downwardlyfrom said horizontal shaft for concentric connection to an eccentricshaft (not shown), the motion ofv which is transposed through saidloop-crank lever to said horizontal shaft to cause the said pivotedblade to automatically move in synchronism with the cloth feedingdevice. Horizontal shaft 38 may be manually adjusted longitudinallyagainst bearing block 40 by nut 46 on the threaded end of shaft 38 toplace movable blade 36 in proper cutting relationship with stationaryblade 34 or out of cutting engagement with said fixed blade 34 if thatbe desired. It will be observed that stationary blade 34 is removablyattached to an integral extension of said bearing block 4t). Compressionspring 48 which envelopes shaft 38 provides continuing resilient contactbetween both blades.

The attachment 1 is rigidly adjustably mounted upon work support frame 6by screws 5% through slots 52 positioned in bracket plate 54, it beingappreciated that the entire attachment structure is integrally relatedand accordingly comprises a unitary structure. Waste chute 56 isprovided to receive the trimmings removed by the shears and permitscontinuing disposal of the trimming away from the working area.

The ribbon cutting operation being manual is accomplished by actuationof pivoted blade 58 comprising the movable member of the pair ofscissors provided therefor. Lever 32, having its fulcrum at 60 issupported thereat by screw pin 62 mounted within bifurcated supportblock 65 adjacent the bearing block 40. The bifurcated end 64 of lever32 journals a lift linkage member 66 which is pivotally connectedtherebetween on pin 68. End 70 of pivoted blade 58 is slidably receivedwithin opening 72 of the said lift link member, the movement of lever 32being communicated through the linkage to blade 58 pivoted at 74.Machine screw 76 being threadedly connected to hearing block 40 supportsthe pivoted blade 58 at 74 and provides support for stationary blade 78which is further rigidly connected against the rear of support block 46.It will be additionally appreciated that Patentedsept. 22., 1964 saidlever 32 is normally biased in the upward direction shown in FIGURE 4,such bias being maintained by compression spring 80 positioned withinannular chamber 81 within said bifurcated support block 65 and arrangedto act against the under edge of lever 32 as illustrated. Leaf spring 82held against said pivoted blade 58 by means of said machine screw 76provides continuing resilient contact between both blades of said pairof scissors 26. Housing cover 84 is provided and held in place bymachine screw 88 as shown in FIGURE 1.

Therefore in accordance with the foregoing description, the operation ofthe novel sewing machine attachment disclosed herein will be readilyunderstood, the ribbon cutter and cloth trimming device combinationbeing a unitary attachment comprised of cooperating parts which togethersubstantially improve the usefulness of conventional type sewingmachines in accomplishing the objects and advantages hereinabove setforth.

Although the preferred embodiment of the device has been described, itwill be understood that within the purview of this invention variouschanges may be made in the form, details, proportion and arrangement ofparts, the combination thereof and mode of operation, which generallystated consists in a device capable of carrying out the objects setforth, as disclosed and defined in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A sewing machine attachment adapted to sever a ribbon supply and totrim the edge of apiece of cloth parallel to the direction of travelcomprising in combination, a support frame, said support frame having anopening therein, a first stationary blade and a first pivotable blade, asecond stationary blade and a second pivotable blade, said secondstationary blade being disposed within said opening, the pivot axes ofsaid first pivotable blade and second pivotable blade being insubstantially the same plane, said first stationary blade being fixedadjacent an edge of said support frame and disposed above the latter; abearing block mounted upon said support frame adjacently of saidopening, a lever member, said lever member being slidably connected tosaid first pivotable blade and pivotably supported within said bearingblock, manual depression of said lever member effectuating the severingof a ribbon passing between said first stationary and first pivotableblades, said second pivotable blade being pivotably supported by saidbearing block and in cutting relation with said second stationary blade,means adapted to operate said second pivotable blade in synchronism withthe cloth-feeding means, and the cutting edges of said first and secondblades being normally disposed with respect to one another, whereby theribbon stitched to the edge of the piece of cloth trimmed by said secondblades first passes between said first blades.

2. A sewing machine attachment adapted to sever a ribbon supply and totrim the edge of a piece of cloth to which said ribbon is stitchedcomprising in combination,

a support frame, said support frame having an opening therein, a firststationary blade and a first pivotable blade, a second stationary bladeand a second pivotable blade, said second stationary blade beingdisposed within said opening, the pivot axes of said first pivotableblade and second pivotable blade being in substantially the same plane,said first stationary blade being fixed adjacent an edge of said supportframe and disposed above the latter, a bearing block mounted upon saidsupport frame adjacently of said opening, an horizontal shaft rotatablyjournalled within said bearing block, said second pivot able blade beingintegral with said horizontal shaft and offset at an end of saidhorizontal shaft, a compression spring disposed annularly and inwardlyof the other end of said horizontal shaft, said compression spring being retained between said other end of said shaft and said bearingblock, a lever member, said lever member being slidably connected tosaid first pivotable blade and pivotably supported within said bearingblock, manual depression of said lever member efiectuating the severingof a ribbon passing between'said first stationary and first pivotableblades, said second pivotable blade being pivotably supported by saidbearing block and in cutting relation with said second stationary blade,means adapted to operate said second pivotable blade in synchronism withthe cloth-feeding means, and the cutting edges of said first and secondblades being normally disposed with respect to one another, whereby theribbon stitched to the edge of the piece of cloth trimmed by said secondblades first passes between said first blades.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Re.9,056 Wiggin Jan. 20, 1880 Re. 9,112 Bigelow Mar. 9, 1880 263,641Willcox Aug. 29, 1882 523,933 Fefel July 31, 1894 836,198 Molfatt Nov.20, 1906 1,286,113 Robinson Nov. 26, 1918 2,095,647 Mann a Oct. 12, 1937

1. A SEWING MACHINE ATTACHMENT ADAPTED TO SEVER A RIBBON SUPPLY AND TOTRIM THE EDGE OF A PIECE OF CLOTH PARALLEL TO THE DIRECTION OF TRAVELCOMPRISING IN COMBINATION, A SUPPORT FRAME, SAID SUPPORT FRAME HAVING ANOPENING THEREIN, A FIRST STATIONARY BLADE AND A FIRST PIVOTABLE BLADE, ASECOND STATIONARY BLADE AND A SECOND PIVOTABLE BLADE, SAID SECONDSTATIONARY BLADE BEING DISPOSED WITHIN SAID OPENING, THE PIVOT AXES OFSAID FIRST PIVOTABLE BLADE AND SECOND PIVOTABLE BLADE BEING INSUBSTANTIALLY THE SAME PLANE, SAID FIRST STATIONARY BLADE BEING FIXEDADJACENT AN EDGE OF SAID SUPPORT FRAME AND DISPOSED ABOVE THE LATTER; ABEARING BLOCK MOUNTED UPON SAID SUPPORT FRAME ADJACENTLY OF SAIDOPENING, A LEVER MEMBER, SAID LEVER MEMBER BEING SLIDABLY CONNECTED TOSAID FIRST PIVOTABLE BLADE AND PIVOTABLY SUPPORT WITHIN SAID BEARINGBLOCK, MANUAL DEPRESSION OF SAID LEVER MEMBER EFFECTUATING THE SEVERINGOF A RIBBON PASSING BETWEEN SAID FIRST